


Always There For You

by lady_macgyver



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Post-Episode AU: s04e13 Journey's End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 11:55:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_macgyver/pseuds/lady_macgyver





	Always There For You

Stumbling from the TARDIS, his longcoat hanging limply from his shoulders, the Doctor walked tiredly to the Noble’s front door. Yawning and rubbing a hand over his face, he knocked loudly and waited.

Startled by the forcefulness of the door opening, he blinked up at the thunderous Sylvia. Opening his mouth to speak, he clicked it shut when she glared down at him.

“So, you’ve decided to grace us with your presence?”

“Where’s Donna?”

“Not here,” she told him imperiously, her eyes narrowing. “And I suggest you go back that ship of yours and leave us alone.”

Shaking form lack of sleep and a throbbing in his leg, the Doctor felt his nostrils flair in defense. “What do you mean, she’s not here?”

“She’s at _work_ ,” she snapped and made to move to shut the door, only to stop when he put his hand out.

Rubbing a finger in his eye, he let out a puff of air as comprehension cleared the fog from his thoughts. “How long have I been gone?”

“Five weeks.”

Leaning heavily, the Doctor felt his shoulders tense up. “Sylvia…”

“Eh, eh, what’s this then? Oh, let him in Sylvia,” Wilf’s calming voice chided from behind her. Beckoning him into the house, he guided him into the lounge. “There now, you look like you’re dead on your feet.”

The warmth from the house and the soft cushions made the Doctor’s head lull forward. “How angry is she with me?”

Sniffing, Sylvia turned her head away while Wilf sat next to him. “Well, that’s for Donna to say, not for either of us.” Wrinkling his nose, he took in the Doctor’s appearance. “But what I think is you need a good shower and sleep.” Holding his palm up at Sylvia’s protests, he shook his head sharply. “You can use Donna’s bath and take a kip while waiting for her to get back.”

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and stood, stumbling forward. It was Sylvia who grasped at him, keeping him upright. He started at her worried expression before taking a step back. “Thank you.”

Nodding, she pointed wordlessly down the hallway to Donna’s room. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it and tried to get the tightness out of his shoulders. Shrugging from his coat, he threw it over a chair and sitting on the bed, began to undress.

+

Steam billowed out from the bathroom and he loosely wrapped a towel around his middle. The shower helped, he no longer felt grimy, but the tightness had clawed into his belly now. Turning on the telly in the corner of the room, he frowned that some of his clothes were missing. His vest, shirt and pants were no longer in the room; only his trousers and suit coat remained. On the bed were pyjamas laid out for him, bigger than what he needed but soft and clean. Slipping under the bedclothes, he curled up in the middling of the bed, head on one side and bunching the other pillow under his chin.

The sounds of the show were soft and calming and he squeezed his eyes shut, blowing out a puff of air. Hindsight being twenty-twenty, he knew he shouldn’t have just left like he did, but there was no way of going back now. Burrowing deeper into the bed, he deepened his breathing to relax his body and felt himself lull into sleep.

+

Stepping onto the front stoop, Donna dug her keys from her handbag, a muffled curse between her lips. She always told herself to put them in the front pocket so they wouldn’t get lost on the bottom of the bag, but day after day she would just drop them in. Hefting the bag up, she groaned and then let out a yelp as the door opened for her.

“Mum!” she sighed and then frowned. “What are you still doing home?”

Beckoning her in, Sylvia pursed her lips. “You didn’t notice it?”

“Notice _what_?” Donna tried not snapping and then jumped as she turned to close the door, the TARDIS parked across the street. “ ** _What_**?” Gaping, Donna dropped her bag on the small table and rubbed her face. “And _you_ let him in the house?”

“Technically, your grandfather let him in, but yes, I did,” her mother nodded. Taking her jacket, she held it in her hands and nibbled her lower lip. “He looked horrible, Donna, just…horrible. I don’t know where he went off to, but from the looks of it, I don’t know where he went or what happened, but it wasn’t good. Or at the very least, it doesn’t look good.”

Blinking rapidly, Donna felt her head bob along with her mother’s words. Five weeks ago, she had been sitting in her mother’s lounge when they all heard the TARDIS leave. For two days after she had walked around the house, blind and deaf to anything and everything her mum and gramps had said or done to her. After the brief period, she had emerged from her room and declared to them both that she was going to find a job, and she had, with the help of Martha.

But now, he was back, and from the snippets her brain was allowing in, he was in her bedroom. Sleeping. After having taken a shower in her bath. White noise rushed to her head and Donna dropped back, her hands on her knees and she took in deep breaths.

Bending down to look in her eyes, Sylvia sighed gently. “Donna, you need to go talk to him. Find out what happened; tell him how you feel.”

Nodding, the younger woman squeezed her eyes shut. “Where are you going?”

Smiling slightly at the turn of conversation, Sylvia straightened. “It’s Wednesday, so I’m going out with the girls. Your grandfather is down at the pub, for the tourney, so we’ll both be out of the house. Just promise me you’ll talk with him?”

Smiling ruefully, Donna brushed her face clear of tears and shook her head. “When did you decide to be on his side?”

“I’m not,” Sylvia told her, voice resolute. “But I’ve seen the way you’ve been since he’s been gone; you two are good for one another, you…you need one another.” She looked away, pained. “I may not like it, but I understand it.” Grasping the door handle, she sighed. “Go to him.” With a quick look back, Sylvia yanked the door open and swept out, leaving Donna alone in the foyer.

+

It took her longer than she expected to make her way to the Doctor. Standing at the foot of the bed, she took in a shaky breath and then jostled his foot gently. Smiling despite herself as he grunted in his sleep and burrowed his head into her pillow. Sucking in lower lip, she jostled him a little harder and watched as he jolted awake, staring first at the wall and then turning his head to her, mouth twitching.

“Donna,” the Doctor whispered and then scrambled out of bed, wincing as she stepped back from him. “Oh Donna.”

At a standoff, she clenched her fingers to her sides, taking in shallow breaths. After weeks of him being gone, after making _sure_ she hadn’t gone crazy and thinking her little time back with him was just a dream, he was standing in front of her. His hands were swinging slightly, trying to grasp at her fingers.

“ _Please_ say something.”

“How could you do this?” she whispered. “Walk out and then walk back in to my life? Do you even care about how I feel?”

Gaping, the Doctor fumbled for words, and grasped her hands. She was shaking, and her head dropped to her chest, digging her nails into his skin.

“O-of course I do,” he told her, his forehead against her own.

“Then why did you leave?” she hiccupped, eyes squeezed shut.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, the Doctor sighed as she rested against him limply. Her tears soaked into the neck of his shirt, her breath shaky. “You were here, with your mum and Wilf and a distress call came in. I-I just…I decided to go, without you because I thought it would be easy. Go in, help out, and five hours later be back for you, go out into the Vortex, be on our merry way.”

“And you, _you_ , thought that work?”

“Oi,” he admonished, no real heat behind him. Instead, he tightened his hold around her middle and felt her shake, her fingers going to his hair.

Rocking back and forth, he shivered as she breathed soft and slow against his neck. Suddenly, he felt her lips against his skin, and he pulled away slowly. Only to grunt as she pressed her lips against his, her lower lip trembling. Tears salted the kiss and he pulled back, searching her face.

“Donna, I don’t think…”

“You left me alone; you went away again and for days I thought it was all a dream. That you weren’t real,” she grit out, her fingers plucking at his clothes. Dancing her fingers under his shirt, she pressed her finger pads against his belly, and then his sides, slipping them into his pyjamas. “I need to feel you, I need to know you’re real.”

Gripping her elbows, the Doctor pressed his lips against her, bruising. His tongue pushed against the seam of her lips, moaning as her palms cupped his bum, pulling him closer. Feeling her hips dig into his, he hissed, pulling the zipper down on her skirt. Feeling it pool at their feet, he brushed his fingers against the gusset of her knickers, and tipped his head back as she gasped against his mouth.

“I’ve missed you,” she whimpered. With a twist of her hips as he tickled her thighs, she gripped the back of his head with one hand as she stroked him, gripping and twisting.

Groaning, he pressed her against the bed, bending her knees and pushing her gently onto the mattress. Looking up at him, her mouth parted gently, she pushed her hands up his belly, kissing and plucking at his skin. Her teeth scraped against his cock, feeling it twitch underneath the material.

Dropping to his knees, he ripped her shirt over her head and did the same with his. Eyes flashing, he pushed her further up the bed, her back arching as she unhooked her bra. Sliding between her legs, he kicked off the pyjamas and wrapped his mouth around her nipple, sucking and nipping.

Sliding her legs around his middle, she pressed her heels into him and lifted her hips as he lifted his head and laved her nipple, feeling it pucker and harden on the tip of his tongue. Wrapping a hand around his cock, he reared over her, his chest billowing.

“Donna,” he whispered out, catching her gaze.

“Please,” she gasped, sitting up. Her breasts swung against his chest as one hand slid around his middle, her chin digging into his shoulder. “We’ll talk later, we _have_ to talk later, but right now I need to feel you. All of you.” Lifting her head, she took in a shuddering breath and flipped them, hearing him grunt. Spreading her legs, she slid down his cock, mouth dropping open as he lifted his hips to meet her.

“Yes,” they hissed in unison. Catching her hands, he clasped their fingers together, his hips rising and falling with each of her thrusts.

“I never…meant to hurt you,” he ground out, mouth parting as she twisted her hips. “Not again, not after…” breaking off in a moan, the Doctor arched his back, eyes drooping closed. Slipping a hand between them, he pressed his fingers against her clit and rubbed slowly, feeling the nub harden. Her little whimpers turned into moans.

Falling forward, Donna’s hips rose and fell as she pressed open mouthed kisses against his chest.

His thumb flicked against her clit and she squealed into his skin. “Come on love, come for me.”

Lifting her head, her hair tumbled down her back as she sucked in her lower lip, her thighs squeezing against his sides. Gripping his hand, she screamed behind her pursed lips and then she moaned low and hard as he flipped them again, thrusting hard and upwards, her orgasm pushing against his own.

Scrambling her fingers against his back, he roared as came hard, her nails biting into his skin. Jerking into her, he pressed his mouth to her neck, his teeth scraping against her skin.

Their breathing was soft and heavy in the room and her arms slipped around his middle, squeezing.

“You’re here,” she whispered, her breath warm and soft. “You’re here, you’re here, you’re _here_.”

Nodding, the Doctor maneuvered them under the bedclothes, kissing her hair. “From now on, I’ll always be here.”


End file.
